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“Take it easy. You were dizzy before, so I can’t have you passing out on me.”
Mikol noticed that Kalen gave him a pleased look, if a bit of an embarrassed one, as he helped him stand. He put an arm around Kalen and led him down to the infirmary on the lowest deck, refusing to let him take the steep staircases because of his robe and crowding in beside him in the small lift. He was acutely aware of Kalen’s closeness and every move he made in the tight space. It did nothing to lessen Mikol’s intense awareness, not to mention his appreciation, of this handsome—and it seemedbraveyoung man—who now belonged to him.
****
Kalen was anxious to see his friend but frightened at the same time. If he found that Dartan had been killed in the attack, he’d be completely devastated. It didn’t even bear thinking about, so he decided he wouldn’t. If he could, he’d will Dartan to live and be all right, because he had to be.
The scene in and around the small infirmary wasn’t exactly chaotic and was in fact, fairly orderly, considering all that had happened. The less wounded Tygerian soldiers were sitting all along the passageway, quietly awaiting their turn. Inside the infirmary, which Mikol entered with casual impunity, the scene wasn’t quite as calm, however.
Three tables held men whose wounds were being treated by the doctors, quickly and it seemed to Kalen, efficiently. Bloody sponges and bandages littered the floor, but the wounded men didn’t seem to be in any pain, having no doubt been given anesthesia. There was no sign of Florin at first, and then Mikol moved some curtained areas on the side of the large room. When he reached the third one, he looked inside and motioned for Kalen, who went eagerly to join him. Inside the curtain, he saw Dartan lying on his back, awake and clawing at his throat in great distress, as if he couldn’t breathe. Florin was hunched over him, speaking urgently to him and trying to hold him down as the doctors worked on him, getting his oxygen requirements adjusted.
“You have to calm him down, Captain Florin, or we can’t help him,” one of the doctors was saying.
Florin shot the physician an evil look. “What the fuck do you think I’m trying to do?” he snarled.
Kalen surged closer, but Mikol pulled him back, murmuring to him. “His ribs are broken, so every breath is painful, and so he thinks he can’t breathe. He’s panicking. Let Florin calm him.”
“But I’m his friend—he’ll listen to me, and I can get him to settle down,” Kalen said, straining to go to him.
“He doesn’t need kindness now. He’s a soldier and understands commands. Someone needs to be firm with him. Let Florin do this.”
Florin had taken Dartan’s face in his hand and was speaking right into it. He wasn’t even speaking Lorian or any other language Dartan could understand, but whatever he was saying was slowly working. It had to be the tone, Kalen thought, as Dartan began to nod, and his eyes widened and fixed desperately on Florin’s face. Both his hands clutched Florin’s wrist. The doctors were finally able to give him the oxygen mix he needed, mixed with pain relief and something to sedate him. Slowly, Dartan began to sag back onto the table, his eyes fluttering in relief. Florin lowered him down, amazingly brushing his lips against his forehead before he straightened up. Kalen stared at him in disbelief. He knew Florin teased and argued with Dartan too much not to fancy him a little, but he had no idea he felt that strongly for him.
Florin turned to Mikol, still looking slightly wrecked. “They can work on his ribs now, but it will take a while for them to heal. All the ribs on one side of his body were shattered. The doctors can repair them, but it will be a painful recovery. Meanwhile they’re giving him medicine for pain and keeping him sedated.”
Kalen nodded. “Thank you, Florin, for helping him. I’ll make sure he listens to what the doctors tell him.”
“As will I,” Florin said softly. Kalen gave him a little smile, which he returned with a slight nod and a glance at Mikol. “I’ll make sure Lycanus is notified and start the men on cleanup. But I believe I’ll stay with Dartan a while, in case he wakes up. He doesn’t speak Tygerian.”
“That’s fine.”
“Oh, but I can do that,” Kalen said.
“No, you can’t. You don’t speak Tygerian either and you need to rest now, because of how you felt earlier. An adrenalin drop can be hard on your body. Your friend is in good hands. In fact, I’d like to have you checked as well.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“I do. Now sit over there please, and I’ll inform the medics.”
Though Kalen wanted to argue, he did still feel a bit drained, so he sat in the chair by Dartan and waited for Mikol to return. He wasn’t sure if he liked being the so-callednobyoof this prince, if it meant he had to take his orders. He had never been good at taking orders, and he didn’t fancy the idea of starting now. Still, when Mikol came back and lifted him into his armsagainand took him to a curtained area next to Dartan’s, being solicitous and making sure he was comfortable, he thought it might not be so bad to be a pamperednobyo.
Sometimes, anyway. Occasionally.
Mikol stood by him protectively as a doctor checked him over. The doctor agreed about the adrenalin but said everything seemed fine with his health. He suggested that Kalen rest for the evening and see how he felt the next day.
With one more check on Dartan, to find him still sleeping, they went back to Kalen’s cabin. Once inside, Mikol placed a hand on Kalen’s waist and pushed him gently against the inside wall, cradling the back of his head with his other hand. He kissed Kalen ravenously for a while and rubbed his body against him. Kalen felt his leg hook around Mikol’s strong thighs almost as if it had a mind of its own. Mikol began to pull at the robe, slipping it off his shoulders to pool around his waist, leaving his chest bare. Furiously aggressive kisses followed, and Mikol slipped a hand under his robes and up to his bare ass.
He looked down incredulously at Kalen, who smiled and shrugged. “Underclothes rub and chafe me. I’ve never liked it much, and this is more comfortable. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Mind?” He groaned and caressed the naked skin. “I insist on it. Thinking of all this naked skin under your robes …gods, you’ll make me crazy before I ever get you to Tygeria.”
Kalen looked up at him and smiled. He felt embarrassed but powerful when Mikol spoke to him like this. The idea that he had the power to affect a man like Mikol so strongly—it was something he hadn’t felt in far too long.
Mikol lowered his lips to his again and kissed him, a kiss so deep and powerful, it made Kalen’s toes curl. Gods, where had Mikol learned to kiss like that? The Tygerian was so much bigger than he was that he should have felt small and at his mercy. Instead, it was the other way around. Not that Mikol was at his mercy—but he did seem greatly affected by his body and his kisses.
For a while now, he’d felt ashamed of being so neatly duped by his hateful uncle. He felt like a fool at times, and like he should have called his Army up and fought the man when he had the chance. But what if he were wrong in thinking that way? He was only powerless if he felt that way, wasn’t he? And right now, he felt better about himself than he had in a long time. Just the thought that his naked body was driving someone like Prince Mikol insane—and he’dsaidso himself.
He could make this different, could make it more about choice if he wanted to. He’d been with the man on Belline and it had been—wonderful. Better than any sex he’d ever had. Maybe it was time to admit he was beyond attracted to this handsome Tygerian.
